Written by: Matt Fraction
Art by: Christian Ward
Publisher: Image
As someone not very well versed with Matt Fraction’s fare, I found Ody-C interesting and invigorating, to say the least. Ody-C is essentially a retelling of the Odyssey as a sci-fi story. Ody-C’s unique elements combined with the themes from the original epic blend together perfectly to create something special.
Talking about the Ody-C’s story is unnecessary as most people are aware of the iconic ‘hero’s journey’ of Odysseus. The setting of Ody-C, however, is completely different. The Ody-C is a spaceship as the entire story is set in space. The other interesting element is that the entire story is gender-swapped. So the protagonist is Odyssia and her entire crew is female. The story actually explains how this came to be and introduces the Sebex, an entirely new gender. This gender-flip acts as the vessel for interesting themes such as creation. These themes add a new twist to the archetypal, although oft repeated tale of the hero.
Ody-C is easily a justifiable purchase for its art. Christian Ward excels at crafting a surreal environment that perfectly complements the seemingly ridiculous premise. The colors almost exude from every page for an immersive experience. Very rarely does artwork move me so much in a graphic novel. The portrayal of space as a sea seems like an unachievable feat, yet Ward’s art is able to convey exactly that. The juxtaposition of realistic characters with surrealistic backgrounds works well in some panels, while the opposite works in other panels. The story and art worked perfectly well together as the progression of the story also saw changes in the colors and the artistic sensibilities.
This cohesion of story and art could not have been possible if the art was the only positive aspect of Ody-C. Matt Fraction excels at creating an entirely new universe to such an extent that the reader almost forgets that this universe is based on the Odyssey. Fraction’s real strength, however, lies in the character. He explores Odyssia’s psyche throughout the volume in a manner that does not make the story exhausting. The interactions between Zeus and the other gods were also quite interesting, especially due to Ody-C’s setting. Fraction’s other strength is his ability to adapt the classic scenes from ‘The Odyssey’, such as the scene with Polyphemus. This adaptability allows Fraction to inject his voice into the story, which can be heard through the intrigue and politics of the Greek gods.
Interestingly, the lettering in Ody-C is commendable. I say it’s interesting because it generally plays a negligible role in the overall aesthetics of a graphic novel. The varied colors for the different characters, the placement of the boxes, and the existence of word bubbles only for the gods convey a singular message: this is the comic book version of an epic.
All in all, Ody-C is an artistic masterpiece that knows exactly what it wants to express. If psychedelic art seems off-putting, this may not be your cup of tea. Nevertheless, the cumulative effect of the story, the art, and the characters compels me to recommend this series as a must read.
